


History on Repeat

by Runic



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Author just wants everyone to have the happiness they deserve, Board Games, Coffee Shops, Comedy, Drama, F/F, F/M, Memory Loss, Reincarnation, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-10-10 02:30:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20520485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runic
Summary: Byleth slept after she lost him, awakening ages later to Garreg Mach University. She is drawn into the friendly competition between dorm floors, an argument as to which D&D group is better, trips to coffee shops, and the questions into her own lost memories.Claude could not help but be suspicious of Seteth's niece who appeared out of nowhere, but there was something so familiar about her, something that made his heart ache. How had she appeared in his dreams years before either of them even came to the University?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So I was writing the second chapter of Guilt, was unhappy with it, and while trying to rethink it, this came out instead. I just want them all to be happy. They deserve it.

The dying embers of the pyre still burned brightly enough to dance across her face. She still looked as young as when she first came to Garreg Mach, but years under the burden of leadership weighed heavily upon her. Had anyone else looked at her they would have said her eyes were blank, but Seteth could see the deep sorrow written within them.

“I offered him immortality,” Byleth said, her voice just short of being considered a whisper. She did not turn to look at him as he came to stand beside her. Her eyes were glued to the flames.

“I am surprised he did not take it. I did not think he…” But Seteth cut himself off before he could finish.  _ I did not think he would leave you alone,  _ was not really the sort of thing she needed to hear right now.

Byleth shook her head. Once the mourners had dispersed she had allowed herself to sit upon the warm earth. Now she drew her legs up, hugging them to herself as she rested her chin on her knees. “He would have enjoyed it for awhile, but I knew in the end it was not for him. He knew it too.”

Seteth did not know what to say. The Queen of  Fódlan and the King of Almyra had stood tall in history for decades. Until three days ago, it seemed impossible for that to never not be the case. But that was their new reality, and it was a reality that stung at his heart.

Byleth turned her head upwards, the first time she had torn her eyes from the pyre since it was lit. “Did you notice it, Seteth?”

Seteth was not sure what she was talking about, but turned his head heavenward. They stood in silence as Seteth tried to find what he was looking for. When he did see it, he silently cursed himself for being so unobservant. “There is a new star.”

“In the constellation of the archer.” It shone brightly where the archer’s face was, looking almost like an eye winking down at them. “I noticed it the night he....” She cut herself off, still unable to say that her husband was gone. 

“Somehow I am not surprised.”

They stood in silence, taking comfort in each other’s presence. He had truly come to consider her family since the war, and he would be there for however long she needed him.

“Seteth?” Byleth finally said, hours later when even the last of the embers had gone out and the sun was peeking over the horizon. “I think I shall go to sleep now.”

Seteth nodded, even though she could not see it. He knew she did not mean a simple night’s rest. “I shall be here when you wake.”

“Thank you.”

As the new star faded from view, the Queen closed her eyes and herself became history upon the pages of  Fódlan.

/

“FEAR THE DEER!”

Flayn started at the sound, almost dropping her precious coffee cup. It took a moment for her brain to piece itself back together and actually process what she was seeing.

A brown haired young man had jumped onto the back of another blond man and was currently kicking his sides as if he was a jockey attempting to spur his horse to race faster.

“Claude!” Flayn gasped as the name was shouted, smashing a hand against her mouth to cover the sound. “Get off of me!”

“Not until you admit we’re the best, Your Highness!” Claude answered. His laughter was loud and bright, green eyes shining as Dimitri, because it could be no one else, attempted to reach back and pull Claude off his back.

“Ugh! Want to give me a little help here, El?”

“I think not.”

Flayn blinked back tears as her eyes landed on a young woman. Edelgard rested comfortably on a bench not far from where Claude and Dimitri were causing a ruckus, not even lifting her eyes from the laptop she was typing away on. 

They were here. They were all here, together and happy, just as they should have been all those years ago. They were simple college students, without the weight of nations upon them, enjoying each other’s company. 

She ducked around a corner, leaning against the side of the dorm building, attempting to catch her breath. It was always jarring, in a wonderful way, when she caught sight of her friends reborn, but she had never seen all three house leaders all at once before. In fact, she had never seen Claude before.

Her head snapped up, searching out the familiar constellation. The last time she awoke, she looked for that star every night, taking comfort as it winked down at her. To her horror she realized that the last time she had looked for it was when she woke again twenty-three years ago. It had still been there then.

But it wasn’t now. The archer was there as ever, but it no longer winked at her.

Flayn pulled out her phone, quickly searching her contacts. “Father!” she greeted when he answered on the first ring before he could even offer his own pleasantries.

“Flayn?” Seteth said, the concern in his tone immediate. “What is wrong?”

“You need to go to the tomb. She is going to wake up soon, and she should not do so alone.”

/

Seteth practically ran down the ancient steps, his designer loafers echoing off the stone. The stale air was stirring, making his heart hammer in his chest. He knew what was happening, but it had been so long he had stopped hoping for it. As he came to the bottom of the stairs he came up short, unable to catch his breath.

Upon an ancient throne, Byleth lifted her head. Green eyes blinked as they took in her surroundings, her hands caressing the sword that had stayed with her through the long ages like a child would cling to a favorite blanket. 

“Hello,” she said when her eyes landed on him. “I know you, don’t I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know we started off serious, but I promise what comes next is much lighter.


	2. All Coming Back

_ A forest. Darkness, so thick it clouded all sense.  _

_ Fear, not for himself. _

_ “I don’t believe anything you say! Our professor is still alive!” He knew that voice. Yes, Lysithea. She was wearing that strange uniform he kept seeing. Why did she look like she was about to cry? _

_ “That’s right! Our professor is no ordinary human!” Flayn? Why was she there? And who was this professor they kept talking about. _

_ “I refuse to believe that Teach would die in a place like this!” The words came from his own mouth this time. _

_ “It is possible that death has yet to find your friend. But there are worse things than death.” The voice made him angry, that twisted face burned into his memory.  _

_ “Hey, all I hear is good news. Teach is still alive. And if that’s true, then there’s only one thing to do. Defeat you while we wait for Teach’s triumphant return!” _

_ “Prepare yourself. We will avenge our leader here and now!” Yeah, that definitely sounded like something Leonie would say. _

_ “How trite. But if you wish for pain, I shall oblige. If you prefer it so, you shall also be added to the ranks of the dead!”  _

_ Anger rose in him, but he fought it back. He needed to remain in control. This twisted creature before him had hurt someone he cared about. He was going to destroy them. _

_ And then the sky itself opened. _

Claude woke with a gasp, sitting bolt upright. Where? Right, his dorm room. When? Middle of the night, both too early and too late. What? Nightmare, just a nightmare. His breathing slowly evened out, all while he tried to hold onto the images of his dream. He needed to remember them. He needed to remember her face.

He stood and threw on a black t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants before exiting his room. His feet took him to a door decorated with charms and images of birds. Claude beat once loudly before resting his head against the wood. “Hilda, it’s me. Let me in.”

Muttered cursing came from behind the door, but a moment later a sleepy pink haired woman opened it. “What’s going on, Claude?” Hilda asked, her words ending in a yawn.

“I need my sketchbook.” 

Hilda stepped out of the way even as Claude moved into the room. He went straight to the desk that was actually organized (Marianne had somehow managed to create chaos over on her side of the room again), and picked up the leather covered book inlaid in gold with a stylized crescent moon.

“Another dream?” Hilda threw herself back down onto her bed, scooting back until her back was against the wall. 

Claude took his usual place beside her, his full attention on his book. He was already flipping to a clean page even as settled himself in. “Yeah,” he answered distractedly. 

Across the room, Marianne, still tangled in her own blanket and looking very much like a cocooned caterpillar, made the short trip to Hilda’s bed and curled up on Claude’s other side as he sketched out the first few lines.

The two women watched him in silence as Claude put his dream to paper. It was a rough drawing as he tried to get the whole thing down before he forgot, but the woman who cut open the sky did not fade. His mind held onto her, as if terrified that he would lose her again. 

Again? Had he lost her before? Had he dreamed and forgotten her already?

“She’s beautiful,” Marianne murmured, mouth covered by the cloth she was snuggling into. “Like a goddess.”

“She might be,” Claude answered. There was something about her that made him think of her as...more. He was not sure what more actually meant.

“That outfit is terrible though.” Hilda rested her chin on Claude’s shoulder, her judgement coming from a professional standpoint. “You have to let me redesign that. Oh! She’d look so cute in a dress! With a ribbon in her hair!”

Claude felt heat in his cheeks as he imagined the woman he had just drawn wearing the outfit Hilda described. Why was he blushing? There was something about this woman from his dream that both made him passionate and distressed. He had thought getting her down on paper would be the solution, but he still felt as if he were missing something. “I don’t think she actually likes wearing her hair up,” was his intelligent response.

Hilda straightened so she could look him in the eye. “Claude von Riegan, you woke me up in the middle of the night, took over my bed, and are making me lose my much needed beauty sleep before my test tomorrow-”

“Today,” Marianne interrupted. “It’s in three hours actually.”

“Yes, that exactly.” Hilda gave him a withering look that did not truly have any power behind it. As annoyed as she was at being woken up, Hilda never denied Claude when he had to deal with one of his dreams. “So, that being the case, I will draw your little goddess there in whatever outfit I like, and I will put a cute little ribbon in her hair, and you will just have to deal with it.”

Claude held up his hands in surrender. “All right, all right, I relent. Put her in whatever outfit you want. Did you finish with my other designs? I have more I want to do right now.”

“Yeah.” Hilda yawned and stretched, falling back across Claude’s lower legs. Marianne followed her example and snuggled into Claude’s side. “I’m going to sleep now. You can keep sketching so long as you don’t wake me up.”

“Well, you did kind of trap me.” Claude laughed softly as he flipped to another clean page.

“Me? The delicate flower that I am? Why, Claude, I am shocked and appalled. Now shut up.”

It was cramped on the small bed, but there was something deeply comforting about the warmth of his friends surrounding him. At the very least, his heart no longer felt like it would beat out of his chest.

/

“Your hair certainly grew very long.” Flayn smiled at Byleth in the vanity mirror. Byleth simply started back at her. There was a bit of puzzlement in her eyes, but Flayn really had to search for it. She had forgotten how little emotion Byleth had shown when she first arrived at Garreg Mach, and it unnerved her to see one of her favorite people revered back to such a state. She had liked when Byleth began to smile more. “We tried to keep up with it, but over the last few decades you grew more restless in your sleep. With the Sword of the Creator next to you, it really was not safe for Seteth and I to try. We will have to cut most of this off.”

Flayn picked up a pair of scissors and measured out where she would cut, just below Byleth’s shoulders like the woman had always kept it. Byleth shook her head, causing some of the mint green strands to slip through Flayn’s fingers. “Lower.”

Flayn blinked at Byleth’s reflection in the mirror, but quickly recovered and nodded. Byleth had not said more than her and Seteth’s names since waking up, rolling the sounds around in her mouth as if trying to memorize a foreign taste. “It will be impractical to keep all of it,” she noted, eyes sweeping down to where Byleth’s hair brushed against the floor. The other woman had been asleep so long not even her own divine magic had protected her from adverse effects. Seteth had had to carry her out of the underground tomb. Flayn worried that keeping Byleth’s hair so long would only cause the other woman to trip on her already unsteady feet. 

“How about here?” she asked, indicating a length that would leave Byleth’s hair down to her waist.

Byleth thought for a moment before nodding her acquiescence. 

“Wonderful!” 

Flayn continued to chat to Byleth as she worked, filling Byleth in on little things she remembered the woman liking, or discussing new things she would experience for the first time. Byleth seemed to lean into the sound of her voice, finding comfort in being near someone else after so long. Whenever Flayn would pause, Byleth would fidget ever so slightly, twisting her hands together, or poking at her now shorn hair upon the floor with a toe. So Flayn continued.

She brushed out Byleth’s hair, working out knots and tangles, until it was smooth once again. Without really thinking about it she began to braid Byleth’s hair, just as her mother had done for her so very long ago. It was a bittersweet experience. 

A knock on the door interrupted Flayn’s latest story about music videos. “Flayn, may I come in?” Seteth’s voice floated through the wooden barrier.

“Yes, Father.” It felt wonderful to be able to call him that in this new age. She had never enjoyed the deception, despite knowing the need for its existence.

Seteth took a moment to look over Flayn’s work, a small smile on his lips, before grabbing a chair to sit next to Byleth. “I wanted to show you how to use this,” he told her, holding out a cell phone. “Flayn and I will be here as much as we can. And Indech will help you when we are not here. There are two other servants who come to clean the estate and a cook, but Flayn sent them away for a few days. We told them we wanted to get you used to your new environment a little at a time. But this will allow you to contact us if we are not here.”

Byleth took the phone and looked at it with interest, following along as Seteth showed her how to work the device. She followed along without much issue, picking up on the new technology with the speed Flayn remembered her mastering tactics and strategy. 

“There,” Flayn said proudly once she was done with Byleth’s braid. 

Byleth looked up from the phone, studying herself in the mirror. She touched the braid and pulled it over her shoulder, before finally nodding. “Thank you.”

Flayn could not help herself. She threw her arms around Byleth, crying in relief against her shoulder. “I am so glad you returned to us.”

She felt Byleth pat her back awkwardly, but the other woman did not push her away. It made Flayn cling all the tighter.

/

“You have all come together in the Guild Hall to hear the announcement of the Grand Challenge,” Claude announced, standing in front of all three D&D groups gathered in the common room. He was in full costume, dressed in gold and black. He had even worn the cape Hilda had added onto his original design. “Listen up, for anyone who makes our jobs harder will find themselves disqualified!”

Next to him Dimitri shook his head. The blond man was wrapped tightly in a faux fur trimmed blue cape, making it impossible to see if he had worn the rest of his costume or not. 

Edelgard cleared her throat and stepped forward. She had only elected to wear her dramatic red cape and that fantastic horned crown. Even with a casual black dress on underneath, she still looked intimidating as hell. She reached over to open the golden chest Dimitri held, and pulled out the piece of paper Claude had stained with tea to imitate age. 

“As you all know, the Grand Challenge offers both prestige and riches. This quest will not be for the faint of heart. Only the most skilled of adventures should consider undertaking this endeavor. The Challenge,” she continued, now reading from the paper, “is the retrieval of the Sword of Creation. Wielded by a goddess at the beginning of time, it was stolen and used to destroy her and her children. Although the thief is said to have been defeated many centuries ago, his tomb has become a resting place for all manner of wicked and vile creatures. Credible rumors of its whereabouts have reached the king, and he has issued this quest himself. All those who would face the darkness of Shambala step forth and be known!”

Immediately all three groups began to cheer and boast their own credentials. Edelgard allowed it to continue for a moment before raising a hand, silencing them all with a less than amused look. Claude was both impressed and slightly envious. 

“The expedition to Shambala will depart in seven days. You must have your intentions known to the guild before that time. The Guild will be providing transport, but only to those who have proven their worth to us. If you have not, I suggest you get to work over the next few days.”

With a dramatic sweep of her cape, Edelgard turned and walked away. Claude and Dimitri joined their fellow dungeon master on the other side of the common room, watching as their groups began to plan. Claude stretched out on the sofa next to her, while Dimitri settled himself into an overstuffed chair, still wrapped up in his cloak. “Nicely done,” Claude complimented.

Edlegard ducked her head in acknowledgement. “They were your words, Claude. But, it was rather fun to act as the Guild Master.”

“This is certainly going to be interesting, having all three of our groups on the same quest,” Dimitri said, his eyes fixed to where Felix seemed to be threatening Sylvain with a plastic lightsaber. 

“It’s going to be chaos,” Edlegard added. 

Claude smirked. “Isn’t that what we’re after? It’s the best part about D&D after all.” He did not know who had said what, but Hilda was waving her foam replica of Gimli’s axe at Casper, standing in front of Lorenz as if she was defending his honor.

“I’m excited to see where this leads. It was certainly entertaining just working on this quest with the two of you.” Dimitri stretched out his long legs, and Claude could finally see that yes, he was at least wearing the boots and pants of his costume. He didn’t even attempt to hide his smirk. “Do you think we should intervene at some point? It does seem to be becoming rather heated over there.”

Claude watched as Petra deflected a plastic water bottle from hitting Dorothea with her wooden keyblade. “Nah, we left them with a list of available quests they can do before the Challenge. They’ll be fine.”

“It is our job as RAs to break this up if they become too rowdy,” Edelgard pointed out.

Claude gave her a look. “Who even says rowdy anymore?”

As the three of them fell into their own lighthearted argument, Claude could not help but note how glad he was to have found such good friends. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I made the house leaders DMs. I am not sorry at all.


	3. Lost

_ The stone was warm against his back as he laid down, folding his arms behind his head to serve as a cushion. Starlight winked down at him, making him feel more relaxed than he had felt in years. He picked out familiar constellations, the myths behind them floating through his mind. _

_ “I knew you’d be up here.” _

_ He couldn’t help but smile. He would recognize that melodious voice anywhere. “And I knew you’d find me eventually.” _

_ She let out a soft hum, amusement lining her voice. “What would Seteth say if he caught us sneaking out on our own engagement party?” _

_ She sat down next to him, and without even thinking about it his arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against his body. “He’ll get over it.” He kissed her, brushing back mint green strands of hair to tuck behind her ear. “Tomorrow I get to marry the most amazing woman in the world. No one could ruin this for me.” _

_ Her laughter rang clear through the night air. She said something, and he responded with something equally amusing. But the dream was fading, and he could no longer make out the words.  _

_ He could feel her straddle him, kissed her back when she leaned down to kiss him, hot and desperate. He felt his body respond to her, eager for her touch. But her smile and laughter, the beauty of her above him, slipped through his fingers. _

  
  


Claude woke with a deep groan and slammed a pillow over his face. For a week now he had dreamed of the green haired woman. Sometimes he fought at her side. Sometimes they were matching wits in political battles. The last two nights, however, Claude found himself whispering words of love to her, kissing and touching her in only the way two people deeply in love would. 

“Great,” he said into his pillow, voice muffled by the fabric and stuffing. “I’m having fucking wet dreams about some fantasy woman my mind cooked up. Just wonderful.”

/

Byleth was bored. 

There were only so many times she could walk the estate before the repetitiveness of the action was no longer interesting or distracting. Flayn had shown her how to work the device known as a TV, but she was so far removed from knowing any cultural context that it all flew over her head. (She had found a few romance movies she enjoyed, but the majority made her sigh with disappointment. The overuse of small moments of miscommunication as a plot line was baffling to her.) Even the phone Seteth had given her had stopped working.

She needed to get out of the house. Her boredom was going to turn her to insanity at this rate. Which was why she was finding her way to the garage. Indech was there, as he always was, polishing a black car that was already spotless. He glanced up at her when she entered, but did not stop his task.

Indech was a broad shouldered man. When he stood still he looked more like a bulwark than a human. Byleth was certain she had never heard him speak, but like Flayn and Seteth, there was something about him that felt familiar. It was nowhere near as strong, more like a nagging at the very back of her mind than the comfort she felt with the other two.

She watched him for a few minutes, comfortable with the silence. Indech did not try to draw her into conversation, nor did he really expect anything from her. Byleth figured that was why she came to the garage so often the past few days and watched him work on Seteth’s collection of classic cars.

When Indech straightened and turned to her, Byleth finally asked, “Can you take me to where Flayn and Seteth are?”

Indech gave her a shrewd look, but eventually nodded. He led her over to another car, this one more convintinal than the previous one he had worked on. He held the passenger door open for her, and helped her with the seatbelt. Byleth had seen him take Flayn and Seteth into town, but never actually been in a car herself.

Indech got in on the driver’s side and they were off. The change in scenery did wonders for Byleth’s mood immediately. She leaned back in the plush seat, watching as the green acreage of the estate gave way to the roads and buildings of a small town. Buildings grew taller and closer together, more people were about to wander the streets. 

Indech eventually pulled the car up alongside a group of buildings, many people coming and going from each of them. Some of them did not seem to care about the multiple cars they were having to dodge as they ran to their next destination. 

Cars honked at Indech as he parked the car, seemingly somewhere he was not supposed to, but that soon stopped as soon as the large man stepped out of the car. He came around to the other side and opened the door for Byleth, offering her his hand to help her out. Once she was on her feet, he pointed to a building at the center of campus. “There,” he said in a deep and rumbling voice, somehow reminding Byleth of the sea. “Can you find your way?”

Byleth nodded. Sure the paths were packed, but it should not be too hard to find her way to the large central building.

Indech made a soft noise of acknowledgement, the rumble of waves against the shore. He then pointed again, this time across the street from the campus building. There was a shopping center, but Indech seemed to specifically be indicating a...well, Byleth was not sure what a Bergliez Smoothie was. “I will be there if you need me.”

When she nodded again, Indech ducked back into the car. Byleth watched him pull back into the traffic flow of the parking lot before turning back to the central building. Right. This would not be hard at all. She just had to get there, and then ask someone where Flayn was.

Of course, as disinterested as she had been in TV programming, once she was actually out and about in society, everything was fascinating. Byleth found herself wandering, letting the conversations about topics she could not even begin to understand wash over her. There was something about it all that made her feel at ease. Being here felt right.

It was only much later that she realized she had lost sight of the building Indech had pointed out. She couldn’t even retrace her steps, as she had not been paying attention to where she’d come from in the first place.

/

“But it’s ridiculous! How hard is it really to find chantilly lace!”

“But isn’t that stuff really expensive?” Annette interjected when Hilda paused to breathe. “It’s made by hand, right?”

But Hilda had stopped midstep. Marianne nearly ran into her back, scrambling at the last minute to rebalance her book on the integration of  Fódlan  and Almyran culture before it could hit the ground. “Hilda?”

Hilda jerked her head toward whatever had caught her attention. Marianne followed her gaze, and felt a similar jolt of shock. “Oh my!”

“Poor thing, she looks lost.” Marianne was glad Mercedes had interpreted their shock as something else entirely. “We should help her.”

Mercedes’ words seemed to spark something inside Hilda, and she quickly outpaced the other three women. “Hey!” Hilda shouted, gaining the woman’s attention. “You lost?”

Marianne hurried up to met Hilda, coming up alongside the woman. Her mint green hair was long and braided. Her eyes did not hold the fierce determination that came with battle. No, now they were confused, and slightly grateful as the group came to her aid. 

But there was no denying it. Before them stood Claude’s goddess.

The goddess nodded. “I was trying to find my uncle and cousin, but I got distracted and lost my way,” she admitted.

“What are their names? Perhaps we know them,” Mercedes said, her pleasant voice causing the woman to relax somewhat.

“Seteth and Flayn.”

Marianne saw her own shock mirrored on the faces of her friends. “Well, Seteth’s office is in the Cathedral Tower, but he usually doesn’t spend much time there,” Marianne said after a second.

“Flayn is usually running around all over campus as well,” Annette added. “But she does eventually always seem to end up at Gateway.”

“I mean, the easiest thing to do would be to text one of them and see where they are,” Hilda said. “You didn’t lose your phone too, did you?”

The goddess shook her head, pulling the device from her pocket. “No, but it’s not working anymore.”

She did not protest when Hilda took the phone from her hand, giving it a quick study. “I just think it’s dead. Don’t you have a charger?”

Marianne could tell Hilda was trying her best to maintain a pleasant demeanour, but the woman’s appearance had thrown her, and their conversation was only raising her suspicions. 

“I-um...no,” the woman admitted. “They didn’t explain that part to me.” She looked between all of them, worry in her eyes at their own shock. “I...I’ve been in a hospital for a very long time,” she said slowly. If Marianne had a less trusting nature, she would say the woman was repeating a line someone had told her. “I was in an accident as a child.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Mercedes clasped her hands in front of herself, pity replacing her earlier shock. “Well, we’ll be certain to show you around. Annie is right, Flayn usually does show up at Gateway, so if we take you there we’ll be sure to find her eventually!”

“Yeah!” Annette agreed, offering the woman a warm smile. “I’m Annette, by the way.”

“Mercedes.” Mercedes offered her hand, and after a moment of hesitation the woman mimicked her gesture. “But you can call me Mercie if you want.”

“I’m Hilda. And that’s Marianne.” Marianne was grateful when Hilda introduced her. She always found introductions a bit difficult and awkward. “And,” Hilda continued, “while I don’t have a charger that’ll fit this phone, I know Claude is at Gateway right now and he always carries his. I’m pretty sure it’s the one we need for yours.”

“Thank you.” The woman nodded, a soft smile on her face. “Oh, and I’m Byleth.”

Marianne felt a sudden sense of deja vu. She could not remember where she had heard the name before, but it sounded so familiar. Which was odd, as it was such a strange name to begin with. Perhaps in one of her history books. There were so many legends in Fódlan’s past it would not surprise her if Byleth was named after one of them.

“All right, Byleth!” Hilda hooked one arm around Byleth’s and began to drag her toward the campus cafe. “Let’s go find Claude!” 

/

“Monica, are you listening?”

“Hmm? Oh no. Sorry, I must have spaced out there for a moment.” Kronya only took her eyes away from the group of young women to look at her phone, swiping through the pictures she had just taken to make sure she had at least one good one of that dreadful woman’s face. “Actually, I just remembered an appointment I’m supposed to be at soon. I’ll see you all later.”

She ignored the protests as she stood to leave, pushing past students without giving a second thought to the curses they threw at her back. No, none of that mattered, not anymore.

The goddess’ little vessel, that terrible Fell Star, was awake once more. After so many years they could finally get their revenge on her. 

“Thales is going to be so pleased with me!” she practically sang to herself. 

One touch to the screen and the message was sent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if you've been reading Daydreaming, you already know that I'm going to be taking a little break for awhile. I think this is going to become more of me updating slower than an actual break, but I will not be abandoning any of these stories.


	4. Let's Have a Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited meeting is finally here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be participating in NaNo, so there won't be anymore updates until December. I will have a follower gift fic up sometime in the next week, and after that it'll be pretty slow going while I try to complete NaNo.

“Are you sure this spell isn’t going to be too high level?”

“Dima, there’s three parties going up against this guy. He needs to be overpowered.”

“Yes, but we’ve also implemented so many other traps and enemies on the way to him. They’re going to worn out by the time they get there.” Edelgard held up her hand before Claude could cut her off, working through her thought process outloud. “So really, this is a test of how well they use their resources, as much as it is how good their tactics are.”

“Exactly!” Claude agreed. “I mean, this is pretty much our campaign wrap up. It needs to be epic.”

“Hmm, I see.” Dimitri studied the paper full of enemy stats. There was a glint in his eye that excited Claude. Dimitri’s sense of honor and fair play had him running more straight forward campaigns, but since working with himself and Edelgard, he had started implementing more complex villains who weren’t afraid to use backhanded tactics. “In that case, since Thale has been masquerading as the governor's advisor for so long, wouldn’t he know certain things about the party members?”

“Ooooh!” Claude’s face split into a wide grin. “El, that’s going to be a problem for your party most of all. They’re the ones who’ve had the most to do with politics.”

“True.” There was a slight grin on her face as she thought through the idea. “It would be interesting to see what they come up with. I like it. But, Lorenz’s character is in trouble there too then.”

Edelgard rolled her eyes at the way Claude practically bounced in his chair at the idea. 

“Who is that with Hilda?” Dimitri interrupted them.

Claude turned his head to the cafe entrance. And his entire world ceased to function. He knew her immediately. For the past few weeks he had stood beside her in his dreams, held her in his arms as they shared both the happiest and worst moments of their lives. She had shared his hopes and dreams, turned them into a reality when he could not do so by himself. She had given him her heart, full of the emotions he had taught her to feel in the first place. And together, they had made a brand new world.

Hilda had just walked in with the woman of his dreams.

Soft fingers tapped his chin, and he instinctively shut his jaw. “Better,” Edelgard chuckled. “You can’t stare at someone like that, Claude. You’re going to make her feel uncomfortable.”

“You know,” Dimitri drawled in an all too satisfied tone that made Claude roll his eyes, “I’ve never seen you react to anyone like that before.”

“No, I haven’t either,” Edelgard added in that same annoyingly smug tone. “Could it be Claude von Riegan has fallen in love at first sight?”

Dimitri placed a hand over his heart, gasping dramatically. “Why, El, I think you may be right! He has a heart after all!”

Edelgard pinched Claude’s cheek, laughing as her hand was swatted away. “He’s growing up so fast!”

“Scoot over, El,” Dimitri said, already moving their materials out of the way to make room for their friends who were starting to make their way over to the table. “We’ll give her some room to sit next to Claude.”

Claude groaned and dropped his head into his hands. “Could you two be anymore obvious? Why can’t you act like normal people?”

“That’s rich coming from you,” Hilda’s voice practically sang above him. Claude didn’t need to look up and see the smirk on her face to know she had caught his reaction when they had walked in. “Hey, let me have your charger.”

“You know, you could ask me and I’d let you borrow it,” Claude pointed out, resting his chin dejectedly on the tabletop. Hilda was already digging through his bag, and simply waved him off.

Mercedes laughed at their banter before turning to his dream woman. “That’s Claude. He’s the RA for the Golden Deer dorm.”

“Hi,” Claude lifted his hand and gave a weak wave. His heart was pounding in his ears as the woman’s eyes turned to him. Those green eyes that pierced through him in his dreams now simply looked confused. Was that a flicker of recognition in her eyes? No, Claude shoved that thought away quickly. With the way his brain was working right now, he wasn’t about to trust he had actually seen anything like that in her eyes.

“And this is Edelgard. She’s the RA for the Black Eagle dorm. And Dimitri, RA for the Blue Lions. That’s where Annie and I stay!”

Edelgard and Dimitri offered their own greetings, and Dimitri, ever the gentleman, offered the woman a seat between Claude and Edelgard. 

“Ah ha!” Hilda cried in triumph as she brought out Claude’s charger. “Okay, Byleth, here’s how this works.”

_ BylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBylethBy -  _

Claude turned away, knowing Edelgard and Dimitri would tease him about it later, but needing the time to school his features away from shock he knew he wasn’t hiding. When Hilda said Byleth’s name, it was as if someone had punched Claude in the stomach and knocked all the air from his lungs. Her name was ringing over and over again in his head, pounding out its rhythm in time with the rapid beating of his heart. 

“Byleth!” someone shouted from across the cafe.

“See! I told you she’d show up eventually!” Annette practically beamed with delight that she was proven right.

Flayn raced over to their table, offering apologizes over her shoulder as she knocked people out of the way. “Byleth, what are you doing here?” she asked, breathless by the time she reached them. There was a hint of fear in her voice, and that brought Claude back. Curious. What did Flayn have to be afraid of?

“I was bored,” Byleth answered, her voice so level and monotone it caused Claude to snort. He caught the way Edelgard held a hand over her mouth, and Dimitri laugh before he bit his lip to cut off anymore. “And the phone stopped working.”

“We’ve got it going now,” Hilda said proudly, holding up Byleth’s phone where it was plugged into Claude’s charger. 

“Oh my! I can’t believe we forgot to give you a charger!” Flayn looked absolutely horrified. 

Edelgard opened her mouth, obviously going to ask something about the curious situation, but Marianne, who had spent her time looking over Hilda’s shoulder, tapped her shoulder and gave a small shake of her head. Hmm, things were getting more and more interesting with every word of this conversation. He’d have to meet up with Hilda and Marianne later. Claude was glad to have a mystery to focus on. It distracted him from the way he wanted to just sweep Byleth into his arms every time he looked at her for too long.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind you tagging along with me, but I’m afraid you’d find it all terribly boring. And since that’s what you were trying to avoid…” Flayn trailed off, chewing at her bottom lip as she thought. “And Father would not react very well if he knew. He’d be so worried he would probably send you home immediately.”

Byleth’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Flayn. The house was just becoming a bit too suffocating.”

“Oh no, I understand.” Flayn gave Byleth a smile so pure and genuine Claude wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Well, I guess you could come with me. I’ll explain as much of campus to you as I can while we run these errands.”

“We can show her around.” Claude had no idea where the words came from, and was surprised to see everyone’s eyes to turn to him. Oh well, nothing else to do besides roll with it, Edelgard and Dimitri’s teasing be damned. “The three of us don’t have anymore classes today, so we won’t have to rush.”

“Oh! Class! I forgot!” Annette shouted. “Mercie, we’re going to be late! Bye, Byleth! It was nice to meet you!”

“Wait, Annie!” Mercedes called after her friend as Annette sprinted for the door. “Oh dear. Goodbye, Byleth. I hope we get to talk again soon.”

“We need to go too,” Marianne pointed out to Hilda. “Our class is on the other side of campus, and we’ll be late if we don’t leave soon.”

Hilda’s eyes widened as she checked the time on Byleth’s newly powered phone. “You’re right! I completely lost track of time. Claude, you be nice to Byleth! Byleth, I have no doubt you can take care of yourself, but just in case, here’s my number. Text me if he does anything dumb.” Hilda winked at Byleth as she typed her info into Byleth’s phone, smiling at her own joke.

“Goodbye, Byleth,” Marianne said softly, offering the woman a rare smile. “We’ll meet up again soon, okay?”

“Okay.” Byleth smiled back at her, small and soft, as if she was unused to the gesture. 

Flayn watched them go before turning back to the table. “If you’re sure you wouldn’t mind showing her around, that would be wonderful. So long as you’re all right with it, Byleth?”

Byleth nodded. “I would like that.”

“Okay.” Flayn tapped a finger against the side of her chin a few times before nodding, decision made. “Can you have her back here by six? That’s when Father and I will head home.”

“Sure,” Edelgard assured her. “We’re finishing up here, so that’ll give her phone enough time to finish charging. Then we’ll head out and show you around,” Edelgard ended by turning her attention to Byleth. 

“Thank you.”

“Wonderful!” Flayn clapped her hands together. “Well, in that case, I really must be off. So much to do, you know! Byleth, text me if you need anything.” Flayn waved as she turned from the table, a wide grin on her face. She stopped by the counter to pick up her drink before heading out, giving them yet another wave. There was something about the gesture that made her seem almost too eager to leave Byleth in their care.

He had just bought himself an entire afternoon with the woman from his dreams. Now, he just had to figure out what they were going to do. 

“So,” Edelgard said slowly, “I don’t suppose you play D&D, do you?”

Byleth shook her head in confusion. “What is that?”

Claude grinned, pulling one of the books toward them that Dimitri had shoved to the side to make room for Byleth. “Let’s start with the basics.”

Byleth leaned over, her arm brushing against his as she moved to look at the book. He heard Dimitri snigger, and knew the other man saw the blush spreading across Claude’s cheeks. Claude chose to ignore it. No, right now Claude was going to devote his entire concentration to teaching Byleth about tabletop games.

His heart hammered in his chest, and his fingers itched to reach up and brush her hair aside. His lips ached to press kisses against her cheek, and...well, it was a good thing Claude had a lot of self control. Otherwise his reality and his dreams might overlap, and that would only lead to trouble. 


End file.
